Native Plants I Love

Amsonia hubrichtii (common name: Threadleaf Blue Star)

Blue star is a showy, three-season perennial that is finally starting to get the attention I think it deserves.  From winter dormancy, foliage emerges in early spring, and the narrow, strappy leaves resemble those of the true lily from a distance. In April and May, clusters of powder-blue, star-shaped flowers appear atop stems that grow 2-3 feet tall.  

Terminal flower clusters are made up of dozens of individual blossoms.

During summer, the bright green foliage makes a nice backdrop for later flowering plants, and the waving, feathery stalks provide nice movement in the garden. I have a handful of these running in a curved line through a front garden bed, because in addition to their gorgeous early flowers, blue star does this in the fall:

absolutely spectacular as a mass planting

Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Donut

I

                                                 Among the treasures in the bakery case

                                                 The only perfect thing

                                                 Was the sphere of the donut.

II

                                                 I was of three hearts,

                                                 Like a box

                                                 In which there are three donuts.

III

                                                 The donut crumbled on the porcelain plate.

                                                 It was a small part of the breakfast.

IV

                                                 A man and a woman

                                                 Are one.

                                                 A man and a woman and a donut

                                                 Means the man doesn't get a donut.

V

                                                 I do not know which to prefer,

                                                 The beauty of the glazed

                                                 Or the beauty of the cream-filled,

                                                 Oh who am I kidding,

                                                 I'll just get both.

VI

                                                 Petits-fours filled the long window

                                                 With barbaric squares.

                                                 The circle of the donut

                                                 Hemmed it left and right.

                                                 The mood

                                                 Traced in the circle

                                                 An exquisite anticipation.

VII

                                                 Oh thin chicks of Zumba,

                                                 Why do you imagine celery stalks?

                                                 Do you not see how the donut

                                                 Draws smiles on the lips

                                                 Of the women about you?

VIII

                                                 I know crispy kale chips

                                                 And translucent pearls of quinoa,

                                                 But I know, too,

                                                 That the donut is involved

                                                 In what I know.

IX

                                                 When the donut rolled onto the floor,

                                                 It marked in glaze

                                                 A perfect circle.

X

                                                 At the sight of donuts

                                                 Arriving in their cardboard box,

                                                 Both of my children

                                                 Will cry out joyfully.

XI

                                                  He rode over to Krispy Kreme

                                                  In a minivan.

                                                  Once a fear pierced him,

                                                  In that he thought

                                                  There would be

                                                  No Hot Donuts Now.

XII

                                                  The oil is bubbling.

                                                  The donuts must be frying.

XIII

                                                  It was morning all afternoon.

                                                  There was a soccer game

                                                  And there was going to be another one.

                                                  The donut sat 

                                                  Wrapped in the mother's purse.

Relatively Recently Read

I picked up this book for two reasons. First, I read a great review in The New Yorker. Second, Jenny Offill was an acquaintance of mine in college, and I though it was so cool that this person who was on the literary magazine at school, and just beginning to write seriously at the time, had actually become a bonafide big-time author.

Anyway, regardless of the reasons, I'm glad I picked this book up. The novel is constructed in a series of discrete prose fragments that illuminate the life of a writer, wife, and mother. The unnamed narrator is revealed to us in tantalizing little flashes, as we observe her observations on the importance of work and ambition, the nature of motherhood and how it changes you, and the difficult and grace-giving state of being we call marriage.

I found myself catching my breath at times at how close to the bone some of Offill's observations cut. The language and fragmentary structure work together wonderfully to create less of a narrative (although there definitely is one) than an extended psychological portrait and meditation on marriage, parenthood, and the joys and tragedies of both.

Elegant Racism

I've mentioned Ta-Nehisi Coates and his essential work on racism/white-supremacy before, but today I thought I'd link to his latest in The Atlantic because it gets to the heart of the continuing and pernicious tragedy of racism in America. While cross burnings and other dramatic displays of white supremacy  have been relegated to a dark and benighted past, the more insidious problem today is that if racism isn't in your face, it becomes too easy to deny it even exists.

I like how Coates recasts the invisible oppression of "institutional racism" as "elegant racism," because the notion of "institutional racism" has itself become nearly invisible. "Elegant racism" makes us confront anew the interesting phenomenon in which racist speech is now roundly called out and condemned, but racist actions that materially hurt black people are ignored, or deflected, or denied - an elegant solution indeed to keeping the white power-structure intact.

The problem with Cliven Bundy isn't that he is a racist but that he is an oafish racist. He invokes the crudest stereotypes, like cotton picking. This makes white people feel bad. The elegant racist knows how to injure non-white people while never summoning the specter of white guilt. Elegant racism requires plausible deniability, as when Reagan just happened to stumble into the Neshoba County fair and mention state's rights. Oafish racism leaves no escape hatch, as when Trent Lott praised Strom Thurmond's singularly segregationist candidacy.

Elegant racism is invisible, supple, and enduring. It disguises itself in the national vocabulary, avoids epithets and didacticism. Grace is the singular marker of elegant racism. One should never underestimate the touch needed to, say, injure the voting rights of black people without ever saying their names. Elegant racism lives at the border of white shame. Elegant racism was the poll tax. Elegant racism is voter-ID laws. 

Awhile back I made the argument that misogyny, and sexism, and sexual assault against women aren't  going to get better until more men not only refuse to engage in such behavior themselves, but actively work to stop other men from acting that way, and actively work to undo the structural barriers to women's equality. It's the same with racism and those of us who benefit enormously from white privilege.

Here in North Carolina, it is astounding that resegregation of our schools is proceeding apace, Voter ID laws have been re-enacted, and government programs that disproportionally benefit racial minorities have been slashed, while tax cuts that disproportionally benefit whites have been expanded. But the legislators and the Governor, "so are they all, all honorable men." Never a racist epithet should pass their lips.

It feels like too many of us have been complacent, thinking that we would inevitably march forward toward equality and justice because that's how history works. I guess I should have paid more attention to our history - the predations following the end of Reconstruction serving as just one clear example of how naive that idea of inevitability is.  Calling out the overt racists is a necessary step, but until we work to call out and tear down the institutional supports of "elegant racism" the paint job may look lovely, but the building is still rotting from within.

Ms. America

Although there are a few things that concern me about Hillary Clinton running for president in 2016, one of the things I'm looking forward to the least is something that has absolutely nothing to do with her: namely her inevitable savaging at the hands of the press. In addition to the nasty misogyny (both purposeful and obliviously unintended), you'll have the daily BENGHAZI hour, and then whatever poo the poo-flinging monkeys of the right-wing noise machine gin up, enraged by the simple fact of her Clinton-ness.

The only hope I see for surviving this onslaught is that this time, Clinton will have some people on her side punching back. Who among the sane now doubts the existence of a"vast right-wing conspiracy" dedicated to the undermining of Democratic governance? How many new-media avenues exist now to shine a light on the lies and smears that are sure to emerge?

Here is Esquire's Charlie Pierce taking part in the fight by ripping Politico a new one for their story on Clinton's unfathomable dislike of the press corps:

The kidz at Tiger Beat On The Potomac plainly are trying to kill Gene Lyons down there in Arkansas. They have given us a "deep dive" into Why Hillary Hates Da Press. Now, for those of us who lived through those thrilling days of yesteryear, the answer may be, "Because she was accused by allegedly serious people of killing Vince Foster in her lesbian dominatrix pied-a-terre in Dupont Circle. Let's all go grab a beer now." But the TBOTP crew isn't satisfied with easy answers. Oh, no, sir. They have produced what is an, ah, interesting survey of our none-too-distant past.

 Constant Vigilance!

And Now They're Moving Backwards

Not content with letting the minimum wage stagnate for years on end, prominent republicans are now actively calling for the elimination of a federal minimum wage altogether.  Because when unemployment is high and workers are at the mercy of their employers, that's when you want to make sure there is no floor to what Walmart can get away with paying their associates.

Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) said Thursday that he doesn't believe there should be a national minimum wage.

Senate Republicans voted Wednesday to block debate on legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10. In an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Coburn was asked whether he thought the current minimum wage of $7.25 was sufficient. 

"I don't believe you ought to interfere in the market. My theory is if Oklahomans want a minimum wage, we ought to have it," he said. "I don't believe there ought to be a national minimum wage."

Happy International Worker's Day everybody!

Making Them Own It

So yesterday, the Republicans in the Senate filibustered (of course) a proposed increase in the federal minimum wage. Despite the fact that there is little evidence suggesting that increasing the minimum wage will increase unemployment; and despite the fact that the minimum wage has not kept pace with worker productivity or inflation; and despite the fact that increasing the minimum wage would increase consumer spending, thus serving as an economic stimulus, the GOP, as ever, remains the party of NO (unless, more tax cuts for the top brackets are on the table, natch).

Aside from all of these crazy, evidence-based arguments for increasing the minimum wage, the moral argument that people working 40 hours a week deserve to make more than $15,000 a year is a strong one, and one I am glad to see the Democrats making:

With the Republican-led filibuster of a Senate proposal to raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 on Wednesday, Democrats moved swiftly to frame the vote as an example of the gulf that exists between the two parties on matters of economic fairness and upward mobility.

The question is not just one of money, they said, but of morality. And in doing so the Democrats returned to the themes that were successful for their party and President Obama in 2012 when they convinced swing voters that Democrats were mindful of the best interests of all Americans — not just those who are powerful and wealthy.

A majority of citizens agrees with a program of economic populism that directly addresses the income inequality and lapses in public investment that have dominated our politics since the Reagan revolution.

The Democratic party seems to be waking up from the "free-market Jesus solves all our problems" mentality that has been horrible for the world economy and sells out traditional Democratic constituencies. Wall Street money is awesome and all, but hedge fund managers only have so many votes (for now, at least). I think it is both smart policy and smart politics to craft and run on an agenda designed to help the bulk of Americans.

The minimum wage plan is an underpinning of both the president’s economic agenda and the plan drawn up by Senate Democrats to force Republicans to take votes on a variety of pocketbook issues. One of those, a bill that Democrats said would help close the pay gap between men and women, was defeated in a Republican filibuster a few weeks ago.

The Democrats’ plan, called “A Fair Shot for Everyone,” also includes a bill to help make college more affordable, the next one that is likely to come to a vote, and other measures that would close tax loopholes that benefit corporations with business overseas and provide family and medical leave for workers.

Polling shows that Americans overwhelmingly agree that the minimum wage should go up; 62 percent favor an increase to $10.10,a New York Times/CBS News poll found in February.  

The GOP has shown itself to be always and only in favor of policies that tilt the playing field even further in favor of the wealthy and powerful, and it is about time that the Democrats make them own that stance:

 Speaking from the White House shortly after the measure was defeated 54 to 42, with 60 votes needed to advance, Mr. Obama admonished Republicans and called on voters to punish them at the polls in November. “If there’s any good news here, it’s that Republicans in Congress don’t get the last word on this issue, or any issue,” Mr. Obama said. “You do, the American people, the voters.”

“If your member of Congress doesn’t support raising the minimum wage,” he added, “you have to let them know they’re out of step, and that if they keep putting politics ahead of working Americans, you’ll put them out of office.”

A.M.E.N.